Analysts say it sounds like a move that will make customers aware of BlackBerry's App World

Last week, a four-day outage of BlackBerry services left millions of users with email, browsing and instant messaging troubles, but Research In Motion (RIM) is sending an apology in the form of free apps to make up for the disruption.

On October 10, BlackBerry customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa began experiencing problems with their messaging, browsing and email services. RIM blamed the service troubles on an extremely critical network failure. On Tuesday, the outage spread to South America and Asia, and on Wednesday, the United States and Canada.

There are an estimated 70 million BlackBerry users worldwide.

RIM's BlackBerry service update confirmed that services began to operate normally on Thursday, October 13. RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis released an apology video on RIM's website saying that it is the company's goal to provide a reliable communications network, but "did not deliver on that goal this week." RIM Chief Information Officer Robin Bienfait offered an apology on the RIM website as well.

But RIM knew an apology probably wasn't going to fully compensate for the four days of unreliable service. Many use BlackBerry devices for work, and can't perform well when the device cannot perform well either.

Now, RIM announced this morning that it will provide a selection of premium apps for BlackBerry users to download for free starting Wednesday, October 19.

"Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers," said Lazaridis. "We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We've worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we're committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future."

While the complete list of premium apps is currently not available, a few that made the list are "SIMS 3," "Bejeweled," "Texas Hold 'Em Poker 2," "Bubble Bash 2," "iSpeech Translator Pro," "Photo Editor Ultimate," "Drive Safe.ly Enterprise," "Shazam Encore," "N.O.V.A.," and "Nobex Radio Premium."

Some analysts wonder if the free apps will be enough of an apology, saying that RIM may have fixed the problem but the damage to its reputation is done. BlackBerry has had two other outages before, and customers are starting to see a pattern.

Others, however, see RIM's free premium app move as a wise decision that will make customers aware of BlackBerry's App World. This is especially helpful, considering developers were dropping support for RIM, making it "the biggest loser" in the mobile app race.

"For RIM, this is an interesting way to attract users to the App World and incentivize them to search and download apps," said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC. "What RIM probably did was an agreement with developers and is not charging the percentage on revenues they keep when a user buys an app."

#1. Tiffany didnt lie about anything. She reported the news on what some analysts are saying.#2 Those analysts arent lying refering to playbook, it doesnt even offer Blackberry mail. They are talking about the blackberry OS apps#3 Those analysts are correct. as you know RIM has already announced its moving to QNX and which will support Android apps, so competition aside, even if RIM was the only phone maker on earth, BB OS and its apps are already phasing out. Developers arent going to jump on board a platform that has a year left on it. Duh.

She repeated the lies of other trolls like JM, and mindlessly repeating others' lies is for a journalist the same and lying herself.

Dumb "analysts" and their buddy trolls like JM lied about "developers dropping support for RIM" when in fact that was just ONE post somewhere about some unknown company stopping developing some junk for BB OS. It was immediately transfornmed by you, JM, Tiffany and other similar trolls into the much more generic "DEVELOPERS LEAVING RIM IN DROVES ARGHHH DEAD RIM IS DEAD AAAHHH BLAH BLAH AAAAHHH BLAH BLAH!!!"

Laughing at these anti-RIM trolls is still fun. They like to pervert the news to serve their agenda and I like to laugh at them 'cause it looks so dumb and so cheap circus-like to a knowledgeable observer, hehehe

quote: Developers arent going to jump on board a platform that has a year left on it

Do you understand that there will be a few dozens of millions users with BB OS in the world for the next decade or so? Do you undertand that RIM will never replace BB OS with QNX completely in an instance? Do you understand that RIM will keep selling gazillions of cheap low end BB OS 7 handsets in the large developing countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, etc for years to come, in addition to high end QNX handsets? Do you understand that you can still make gazillions of money in supporting their needs and selling them apps for a few bucks each? Do you EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT WINDOWS XP SOFTWARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES MARKET IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL 10 YEARS AFTER XP WAS RELEASED?

No, you don't, 'cause you are obviously too dumb to understand how software industry works. I'm sure you don't even have a slightest idea about 65% of the Android handsets being on the ancient 2.2, 2.1 and 1.x version of their OS right now. You don't know facts and you don't even know how to learn about all this. Why are you even replying to me? You should learn basics first. SERIOUSLY. You should! I can't talk to person who doesn't understand basics.

Sorry but you are as good as a piece of wood when talking to me. Learn man leeeaaarrrnn basics! Please!

I am not even going to get into it with you today. Myself, the rest of the industry, wall street, RIM employees, RIM stockholders, and just about everyone else that pays even a little attention to the smartphone industry thinks RIM is in deep trouble. You disagree. OK, fine. You have already proven that you are full of crap, and are totally unwilling to stand behind what you say about RIM and you don't even believe the crap you post. So I will re-iterate. Take the bet or just stifle yourself.

Come on man, this is getting really old... At some point this conversation has to end. Obviously we are not going to agree. I read your points above and I totally disagree. The only thing left to do is wait and see what actually happens...

The bet: By October next year, there won’t be any way for RIM to hide behind creative data reporting and "pick and choose" facts. RIM’s numbers will be down all over , sales, marketshare, everything, everywhere and it will be undeniable.

Why is everybody asking if I'm Apple shareholder when I pwn anti-Apple trolls, or whether I'm an MS shareholder when I pwn anti-MS trolls, or whether I'm a RIM shareholder when I pwn antil-RIM trolls? I thought being objective and holding shares are independent things, no?

"The guy who insists that RIM will drop BB OS in an instance and QNX will magically replace all BB OS handsets in the world the moment it is released?"

I will mail you a cashiers check for $10,000 riught now if you can show me where I said anything like that. What I posted was agreeing with the article above implication that some developers are leaving Android. Where does "insists that RIM will drop BB OS in an instance and QNX will magically replace all BB OS handsets in the world the moment it is released" come from? In bold no less...

On 2nd thought, dont even bother. Come on man, this is gettting old... At some point this converation has to end. We are not going to agree. The only thing left to do is wait and see what actually happens, so stand up now.

The bet: By October next year, there won’t be any way for RIM to hide behind creative data reporting and "pick and choose" facts. RIM’s numbers will be down all over, sales, marketshare, everything everywhere and it will be undeniable.

Do you understand that there will be a few dozens of millions users with BB OS in the world for the next decade or so? Do you undertand that RIM will never replace BB OS with QNX completely in an instance? Do you understand that RIM will keep selling gazillions of cheap low end BB OS 7 handsets in the large developing countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, etc for years to come, in addition to high end QNX handsets? Do you understand that you can still make gazillions of money in supporting their needs and selling them apps for a few bucks each?

Then you said:

I read your points above and I totally disagree.

To summarize all this:

1) I said BB OS can't be instantaneously replaced with QNX.2) Then you said you disagree with my points about that.3) Hence you implied that BB OS will be replaced with QNX instantaneously.

Proven! Now where's my check?

Also note how I follow the clear logic here and you just mindlessly troll. You won't understand what I just said above, I'm sure, and instead of giving me arguments you will troll some more unrelated BS about your stupid bet. Come on, troll more. See if I care.

You said a whole lot of crap buried in a paragraph with alot of questions.... OK, then I misunderdstood which rant you were referring to. Obviously they wont replace the existing ones, what does that have to do with anything?

Come on man, this is gettting old... At some point this converation has to end. We are not going to agree. The only thing left to do is wait and see what actually happens, so stand up now.

The bet: By October next year, there won’t be any way for RIM to hide behind creative data reporting and "pick and choose" facts. RIM’s numbers will be down all over, sales, marketshare, everything everywhere and it will be undeniable.

I disagree that it's at all relevant to RIM's situation. Why do you keep avoiding the question? There isnt anything else to say we arent going to agree.

The bet: By October next year, there won’t be any way for RIM to hide behind creative data reporting and "pick and choose" facts. RIM’s numbers will be down all over , sales, marketshare, everything, everywhere and it will be undeniable.

"Because I want you to tell me the story about how QNX will magically replace all the BB OS handsets in the world instantaneously the moment it is released."

Where did I say anything like that? That is all part of the argument in your head. Sorry about your popcorn, but that is the nutty side of your failing debate skills. I said its not relevant."Do you understand that there will be a few dozens of millions users with BB OS in the world for the next decade or so? Do you undertand that RIM will never replace BB OS with QNX completely in an instance? Do you understand that RIM will keep selling gazillions of cheap low end BB OS 7 handsets in the large developing countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, etc for years to come, in addition to high end QNX handsets? Do you understand that you can still make gazillions of money in supporting their needs and selling them apps for a few bucks each? Do you EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT WINDOWS XP SOFTWARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES MARKET IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL 10 YEARS AFTER XP WAS RELEASED?"

OK, ill bite, just to put you back on the wall. You have quite the rant, but none of it is relevant. Of course there are still milllions of users, and of course QNX will not repalce those phones. In spite of your irritating rant, I never said anything about that. The article talked about many mobile app developers not wanting to develop for RIM anymore. You saying there are millions of BB users doesnt change that. However many there are, developers are concentrating on IOS and Android and you know it . You can try to change the subject all you want, but you wont be able to make it untrue, and its really not the point is it?

Let me simplify so its easy for you to get and harder for you to misconstrue. -> OF course there is money to be made developing apps, no-one, I repeat NO-ONE said there wasnt. The implication is that IOS and Android get all the effort. BB OS is getting some, but its sort of like sloppy seconds. No-one said its going from 100% to zero percent. Its just trending downward and will continue to do so.

Now, stop changing the subject, creating arguments in your head, and talking about things that are A) irrelevant B) misconstrued and C) pointless because neither of us is changing our minds.

If you are so sure about RIM's prospects, take the bet. buk buk buk buk.

The bet: By October next year, there won’t be any way for RIM to hide behind creative data reporting and "pick and choose" facts. RIM’s numbers will be down all over, sales, marketshare, everything everywhere and it will be undeniable.

Haha, first you said you disagree with my points when I told you there's money to be made supporting BB OS, but now you're pretending you didn't say that. Try to wiggle and dance around some more, heheee, your post with your phrase "I disagree with your points" is still up there, people can see you're lying!

I said I disagree with your whole assertion that it matters. Clearly what everyone sees here is that you are afraid to stand behind the crap you post and take the bet. Whether I disagree to your points or not its not the issue... Clearly we disagree. Take the bet or shut up

Because I am the one that put out the bet and is willing to stand behind what I say. Its OK though. This conversation is done and your unwillingness to take the bet speaks volumes about you and the crap you spout on this forum. Thank you for making that clear to everyone though.

Bet? You think your chest thumping means anything? I don't care about your bet, I state my opinion and debunk a few lies in the process. You can bet all your life and what not on some shit, who cares... I don't for sure.

After I mentioned how biased the trolls are who turn "a company left BB OS development" into "DEVELOPERS LEAVE RIM IN DROVES AAAHHHH DIE DIE DIE!!!" - there's no need to bet on anything, understand?

LOL... Seeing that RIM in trouble is a being a Troll... Its not even being highly observant, its just called paying attention. Lies, Lies, Tiffany Lies!!! Look at your thread title you nutjob. Jason Lies, Spooty lies! Wall street lies, RIM's stockholders all lie, its a great lie conspiracy at the highest levels all designed to make RIM look bad!!! Where my foil hat? But Xbox sales, but Apple was once in trouble, but MS lost IE marketshare, but Google, but Palm, oh, wait, not Palm, but, but, but...

I see you don't like me criticizing the bias of some people here. Hopefully after today's BBX presentation in SF a lot of trolls will shut up at least for a little while. Even JM in his posting only fucked up the title, and the rest was kind of okay. Ubbelievable for an Android fanboy like him. Looks like BBX and other gooides like Playbook NDK impressed him enough and he became a little less biased this time, hehe :) So I even haven't criticized him a lot, just told him that he only fucked up the post title but otherwise it was a decent job.